Link chain zipper device

ABSTRACT

A pair of rows of laterally projecting teeth mounted on respective one ends from respective stringers to be moved from opposite sides of a locking plane to be engaged in the locking plane. The teeth include catches constructed to, when the teeth are in the locking plane, engage each other to lock the rows of teeth together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to slide fasteners.

Description of the Prior Art

Numerous slide fasteners have been proposed over the years, typically with pairs of stringers mounting respective rows of laterally extending parallelepipedic-shaped teeth constructed to be brought together in a common plane by a slider so the rows of teeth engage one another to fasten together. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,058 to Cullum. While generally serving its intended purpose, the shape of such teeth on such slide fasteners are dictated by the particular function and degree to which such teeth interlock to prevent separation, typically presenting a somewhat routine. utilitarian appearance for the closed fastener.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A slide fastener including a slider with flanking tracks to receive a pair of first and second stringers mounting respective first and second rows of laterally elongated teeth projecting toward one another and constructed to guide the free extremities through spaced apart planes and then back into a common plane to releasably lock together. The teeth of the opposite rows include catches to, when interleaved, catch and releasably hold the mating teeth of opposite rows together.

The method of the present invention includes the selection of a slider to fasten first and second rows of zipper teeth together and operating the fastener to slide in one direction to shift the respective first and second rows of teeth first into spaced-apart horizontal planes and then into a common plane to crowd the teeth together and latch respective catches and receivers together to hold the teeth in respective latched positions.

The features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a slider incorporated in the link chain zipper of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top front perspective view of the rows of teeth incorporated in the link chain zipper of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom back perspective view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a top view, in reduced scale, of the confronting rows of teeth and the slider of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A is a transverse sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken along the line 6A-6A of FIG. 5 to show a detail of teeth incorporated in the invention shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 6B is a side view, in enlarged scale, taken along the line 6B-6B of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a right side view in enlarged scale of the chain link zipper device shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front end view of the chain link zipper device shown in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are respective transverse sectional views, in enlarged scale, taken along the line 9-9 and 10-10 in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of the slider shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the slide fastener device of the present invention includes, generally, a slider 35 incorporating a pair of flanking tracks 61 and 63 to receive a pair of first and second stringers 21 and 23 mounting respective first and second rows 24 and 26 of laterally projecting first and second teeth 25 and 27 configured with respective free extremities to be tilted out of, and then back into a common plane to be releasably locked together. The slider 35 is constructed to be slid in one direction along the respective rows of teeth to cause the respective tracks 61 and 63 to first shift the distal extremities of the rows of teeth into spaced apart planes and then urge them toward one another while also tilting their free extremities into a common plane from opposite sides of that common plane. As travel of the slider continues, the teeth will be crowded together and hooked to one another to be releasably retained.

The teeth are formed with releasable retaining devices which may be in the form of hooks, or as shown in a preferred embodiment, catches 41 on one side and sockets on the opposite defining receivers 43 (FIGS. 6A and 6B) to, when interleafed, cooperate in locking the rows of teeth together.

As will be appreciated by the reader from a review of this description, the respective stringers 21 and 23 may be constructed, of stiff or semi-rigid material, for example, of coarse, relatively stiff woven cloth, or flexible hard plastic links such that the respective teeth can be articulated for interleafing with one another.

In practice, we have constructed our slide fastener device of various materials, including thermoplastic material and metal to provide a desirable construction for various different applications.

The multiplane tracks 61 and 63 are constructed to guide the free extremities of the teeth of the first and second rows over and under one another and back into a common plane to connect together. The resultant structure provides the artisan with a platform from which he or she has the freedom to construct the exposed surfaces with many different attractive shapes in a manner not heretofore feasible. As an example, referring to FIG. 5, in top plan view, the teeth 25 and 27 may be formed with inside edges 51 and 53 angled and an obtuse angle of about 150° relative to one another. The teeth are formed on their opposite sides with opposite ends angling at an obtuse angle relative to one another of about 140° and joined centrally by an arcuate central edge 45 to cooperate in forming exterior boomerang shape. The respective teeth are formed on with central bodies and on one extremity with proximal, somewhat rectangular base sections 47 mounted to the respective stringers 21 and 23 and on their opposite ends with the free extremities 31. The free extremities 31 terminate in blunt planar ends 32.

The surfaces 56 are formed with the bores defining the receivers 43 and posts defining the catches 41 are mounted on the surfaces 53 to be selectively received in the respective confronting bores as the teeth are drawn together.

With continued reference to FIGS. 5 and 6A and 6B, the rows of teeth are constructed for pairs of confronting teeth to be, when crowded together in a common plane, joined together such that the planar surfaces 51 and 53 of the pairs interleafed teeth are disposed in confronting relationship with the respective free ends 32 nested against the planar surfaces 51 of the tail sections. With this configuration it will be understood that adjacent pairs of teeth in each row cooperate to, when joined, form a space therebetween complementing the shape of the connecting tooth from the opposite row.

In one preferred embodiment, we provide a further catch function by configuring the confronting edges of the teeth 25 with upwardly facing first hooks 44 to be selectively engaged by downwardly opening second hooks 46 (FIG. 6B) As a result, when the teeth are guided into lateral alignment over and under one another, upon tilting of the teeth into a common plane, the hooks of the juxtaposed teeth will be hooked together to cooperate in preventing separation until the slider manipulates the teeth apart.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6A-6B, the teeth are formed on their respective outside edges with longitudinal, laterally outwardly opening slots 52 to receive the respective marginal edges of the stringers 21 and 23.

The catches 41 and receivers 43 on the confronting surfaces of juxtaposed teeth serve to, when the zipper is closed, engage one another to, as long as the teeth are pressed into engagement, prevent the juxtaposed teeth from sliding laterally away from one another. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the catches and receivers may thus take many forms such as the post and blind bores shown in the accompanying drawings, laterally extending, small ratchet teeth to engage recessed grooves in mating teeth, hooks, or other catching arrangements that will occur to those of skill.

In some preferred embodiments, the teeth are approximately ⅜ of an inch long and about ¼-inch wide at their widest part, and about ⅛ to 3/16-inch thick.

With this size and configuration, the free extremities of the teeth have such body that, if the opposed rows were moved laterally seeking to make engagement in the same general plane as with conventional sliders, the teeth of the opposing rows would interfere with one another and block against interleafing.

For that reason, we have constructed the slider 35 with the flanking tracks 61 and 63 (FIGS. 7 and 8) to, as they extend rearwardly from their leading ends 62 and 64, angle, respectively, proximally downwardly and upwardly and to then as they continue rearward angle back to a common plane. As they converge along funneling sections 66 and 68 to funnel toward one another, the bottom wall 70 of the track 61 (FIG. 11) ramps downwardly along the lateral inside edge to a cavity 74 to be disposed below a neutral or common plane of the lateral ramp position 76 of the bottom wall 72 of the track 63 to elevate the teeth 46 over the teeth 44 as they are drawn together to be fed out the fastening sections 80 and 82 which crowd the teeth of the adjacent rows together. The tracks thus guide the free extremities of the respective second and first teeth proximally downwardly and upwardly to thus elevate the hooks 46 while lowering the hooks 44 (FIG. 9) so the hooks will clear each other as the funneling effect by such tracks translate the teeth toward one another to align the hooks 46 over the hooks 44 (FIG. 9). Then as the tracks guide the rows of teeth into a common plane, defined by the bottom walls in the crowding sections 80 and 82, the catches will be received in the respective receivers and the hooks 46 hooked behind the respective hooks 44. In one proposed embodiment the walls of the slider are transparent so the action of the teeth can be observed.

As will be appreciated by the reader, while the preferred embodiment of the slider serves to tilt the teeth to perform the locking and release functions, in other embodiments, the slider may be constructed to, as it translates along the rows of teeth, shift the teeth bodily into and out of the common plane for locking and unlocking.

In operation, it will be appreciated that the stringers may be fastened to adjacent edges 71 and 73 of a garment or the like (FIG. 5). Then, when the slide fastener is to be closed, the slider 35 will be slid along the length thereof to draw the rows of teeth in through the funnel-shaped funnel sections 66 and 68 (FIG. 11) of the tracks 61 and 63 along predetermined paths dictated by the shape of the walls of such tracks as defined by the respective bottom walls 70 and 72. This will serve to tilt the distal ends of the row of teeth passing through the track 63 upwardly and translate them inwardly to be disposed over the free ends of the teeth passing through the track 61 and into the track recess 74. Continued travel of the slider will draw the free ends of the respective rows of teeth into vertical alignment at disposed in vertical alignment as dictated by the track portion 76 and recess 74. Still further travel of the slider 35 will then drive the teeth into interleafed relationship interposing the teeth of one row between respective pairs of teeth of the other row. This will serve to position the teeth of the rows of teeth 26 and 27 with the respective catches 41 in the receivers 43 such that, as full closure of the rows of teeth on one another is completed in the track crowding sections 80 and 82, the free extremities of the teeth will be rotated into position driving the catches 41 fully into the respective receivers 43 to establish a locking relationship resisting lateral forces applied to the clothing edges 71 and 73. Concurrently the hooks 44 and 46 will be engaged behind each other to cooperate in locking the teeth of the mating rows to each other.

As will be appreciated by those of skill, in some embodiments the catches and receivers are constructed to perform the locking function and in other embodiments the hooks will serve as the locks.

As will be appreciated by the reader, as the teeth pass into the crowding sections 80 and 82 the teeth of the rows will be pressed together so the teeth of one row will be interleafed into the complementarily shaped gap between adjacent teeth of the opposite row and crowded together longitudinally to be maintained in their interlocked positions as shown in FIG. 5. Lateral outwardly acting forces from the garment edges 71 and 73 applied through the stringers 25 and 27 tending to pull the teeth laterally apart will be resisted by the catches 41 locked in the receivers 43 and the hooks 44 and 46 to thus maintain a secured closed position.

Then, when the zipper is to be opened, the slider 35 can be slid in the opposite direction relative to the row of teeth, causing the tracks 61 and 63 to manipulate the free extremities of the teeth of the row 25 to be elevated while the free extremities of the teeth in the row 27 are lowered to concurrently withdraw the catches 41 from the receivers 43 and free the hooks 44 and 46 from one another as the free extremities in the teeth of the respective rows are pivoted longitudinally outwardly away from one another opening gaps between juxtaposed teeth of each row, drawing the catches 41 out of the respective receivers 43.

In this regard, it will be appreciated that, as the slider 35 (FIG. 11) is drawn to the left, the free extremities of the teeth in the track 61 will be drawn downwardly into the recess 74 while those in the track 63 are elevated in the track portion 76 to thus disengage the teeth 44 and 46 to shift them to different horizontal planes while concurrently withdrawing the catches 41 from the receivers 43 so the funnel sections 68 and 70 will cooperate in driving the rows of teeth laterally apart as separated by the divider 60 to thus free the stringers 21 and 23 for separation.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the device of the present invention provides an economical and secure means for establishing a fastening function between adjacent elements wherein the adjacent rows of teeth are locked together in secure fashion, but yet are easily separated for opening of the fastener.

The invention may be embodied in other forms without departure from the spirit and essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments described therefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. Although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by reference to the appended claims. 

1. A slider fastener device comprising: a pair of first and second elongated stringers; first and second rows of respective transversely elongated first and second teeth to be positioned in a closed position with the teeth of the first and second rows interleaved with one another, the teeth formed with respective base sections attached to the respective first and second stringers and projecting transversely therefrom to form respective the first and second free extremities; the respective first and second free extremities of the respective first and second teeth configured with respective first and second catch devices cooperating, when the rows of teeth are in the closed position, to lock the first teeth to the respective second teeth of the first and second teeth; and a slider device formed with first and second tracks receiving the respective first and second rows of teeth and constructed to be drawn longitudinally therealong in a selected longitudinal direction to draw the first and second rows of teeth together in a common plane in the interleafed position, the first track constructed to, when drawn in the selected longitudinal direction, guide the first extremities to a position spaced over the second extremities and to then as travel of the slider is continued in the selected longitudinal direction, close the respective second catch devices on their first catch devices.
 2. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the first and second catch devices are formed with respective receivers and catches, the catches received in the respective receivers.
 3. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the respective first and second teeth are configured with respective base sections integral with the free extremities, the base sections and free extremities formed with respective longitudinal sides defining proximal and distal planar edges projecting at an angle of substantially 150° relative to one another.
 4. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the first and second elongated stringers are constructed of rigid or semi-rigid material.
 5. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the slider is formed with the first track angled proximally downwardly and the second track angling proximally upwardly.
 6. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the slider is configured with the first and second tracks angling in the one direction away from one another.
 7. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the respective first and second teeth are constructed of plastic.
 8. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the respective first and second teeth are constructed of metal.
 9. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the first catch devices are in the form of receivers and the second catch devices are in the form catches received in the respective receivers.
 10. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the first and second catch devices include respective first and second hooks formed on respective first and second distal extremities
 11. The slide fastener device of claim 1 wherein: the respective first and second tooth bodies are formed with slots receiving the marginal edges of the respective stringers.
 12. A slide fastener device comprising: a pair of first and second elongated stringers; first and second rows of respective transversely elongate first and second teeth mounted on respective one ends from the respective first and second stringers for articulation relative thereto and projecting therefrom to from respective first and second free extremities configured to travel form unlocked positions separated from one another through predetermined first and second paths from planes on opposite sides of a locking plane, to locking positions disposed in the locking plane, the free extremities including respective first and second hook elements constructed to, when the teeth are in the locking position, releasably hook together; and a slider formed with first and second tracks for receiving the respective first and second rows of teeth to, when the slider is drawn along the rows of teeth in one direction, guide the first and second rows of teeth along the predetermined paths to the locking plane to engage the respective first and second hooks together.
 13. The slide fastener device of claim 12 wherein: the free extremities of the teeth include respective receivers and catches constructed to, when the rows of teeth are in the closed position, engage together.
 14. The slide fastener device of claim 12 wherein: the slider is formed with the first and second tracks tapering in the direction opposite the one direction inwardly toward one another, the first track tapering downwardly and the second track tapering upwardly.
 15. The slide fastener device of claim 13 wherein: the receivers are in the form of blind bores and the catches are in the form of cylindrical posts.
 16. A slide fastener device comprising: a pair of first and second elongated stringers; first and second rows of respective transversely elongated first and second teeth mounted on respective one ends from the respective first and second elongated stringers and projecting therefrom to form respective first and second free extremities to be moved through predetermined first and second paths from opposite sides of a locking plane to locking positions disposed in the locking plane; first and second catch elements on the respective first and second extremities constructed to, when the extremities are in the locking position, engage to lock the rows of teeth together; and a slider formed with first and second tracks for receiving the first and second rows of teeth to, upon sliding in one direction, move the first and second rows of teeth through the respective first and second predetermined paths, and to, upon sliding in the opposite direction, moving the first and second rows of teeth in the reverse direction through the respective first and second predetermined paths to separate the first and second extremities from one another.
 17. The slide fastener device of claim 16 wherein: the first and second catch elements are in the form of hooks.
 18. The slide fastener device of claim 16 wherein: the first and second catch elements are in the form of receivers and posts.
 19. The slide fastener device of claim 16 wherein: the slider is constructed with transparent walls.
 20. The slide fastener device of claim 16 wherein: the first track is formed with a bottom wall disposed in a first plane and the second track is formed with a bottom wall having a recess spaced below the level of the first plane.
 21. A method of operating a slide fastener including: selecting a pair of first and second elongated stringers mounting laterally projecting first and second rows of teeth formed with respective receivers and catches to latch together when in the closed position; selecting a slider with first and second tracks for sliding over respective rows of first and second teeth; operating the slider to displace the rows of first and second teeth first into spaced apart horizontal planes and then shifting the respective first and second teeth into a common plane to latch the respective catches and receivers together.
 22. A fastener device comprising: first and second rows of transversely elongated first and second teeth constructed to be positioned in closed positions with the respective first teeth interleafed between respective pairs of the respective second teeth; the first and second teeth formed with respective first and second base sections and respective first and second projecting free extremities, the first and second free extremities having, when the teeth are in the closed position, confronting surfaces; first and second catch devices mounted on the first and second confronting surfaces and constructed to, when the teeth are in the closed position, cooperate to engage with one another and prevent the respective first teeth from sliding laterally relative to the second teeth.
 23. A fastener device comprising: first and second rows of respective transversely elongated first and second teeth to be selectively positioned in an interleafed position with the respective first teeth interleafed between pairs of the second teeth and an open position wherein the first teeth are separated from the respective second teeth; the respective teeth including respective base sections and free sections; the free sections including respective first and second planar surfaces configured to, when the teeth of the first and second rows are in the interleafed position, be disposed in confronting relationship; bores formed in the first planar sections; and hooks mounted in the respective second planar sections and configured and arranged to be, when the respective first and second rows of teeth are in the interleafed position, be removably received in respective bores to lock the respective second teeth from shifting laterally relative to the respective first teeth.
 24. A fastener device comprising: first and second rows of transversely elongated first and second teeth to be selectively positioned in a closed position interleafed with one another and an open position wherein the teeth of the first and second rows are separated from one another; the first and second teeth including respective first and second base sections and first and second free sections; the first and second free sections including respective first and second planar surfaces configured to, when the teeth of the first and second rows are in the closed position, to be disposed in confronting relationship; bores formed in the first planar sections; and hooks carried from the respective second planar sections and configured and arranged to be, when the respective first and second rows of teeth are in the locking position, be removably received in respective bores to lock the teeth of the respective first and second rows from shifting laterally relative to one another. 